Beebe gets 18 months in 1984 battery

Before he was led away in handcuffs, a new image of William N. Beebe emerged this afternoon at the Charlottesville Circuit Courthouse as friends described a man recovering from addiction and working tirelessly to help others do the same. The 43-year old, who pleaded guilty last year to felony sexual battery, was sentenced today to spend 18 months behind bars for an attack at a UVA fraternity house nearly 23 years ago.

The case, first extensively reported in the Hook last January, drew a phalanx of reporters to the story of the 12-step program that went awry. Today, however, the 12-steppers were in ample supply to support Beebe as a mender of broken souls.

"I looked like a cross between the unibomber and Jerry Garcia," said William Daniel Griggs. "He saw right through me, and was very insistent that this was the right way." Griggs related that when his older son was born, the child had to be on a ventilator, and anyone who wanted to take care of the ailing baby had to take special classes on how to administer CPR and remove and insert a feeding tube.

"The only two people that showed up were Will and my father-in-law," said Griggs, noting that Beebe stayed with the sick child on numerous occasions to give the exhausted parents a break.

Marcy Allen, in her mid-20s, spoke of her life before she met Beebe. "I did not shave or bathe– washed my hair twice a year," a situation she attributed to issues her drug problems that also led her embezzle money from her employer, which Beebe told her to repay.

In all, 11 people sat in the front two rows on Beebe's side– all friends and Alcoholics Anonymous members, many of whom described meeting Beebe (called Will throughout the hearing) in "fellowship." When pressed, several admitted fellowship was indeed AA. Beebe, wearing dark rimmed glasses, a dark suit with a crisp white shirt and a checked tie occasionally looked to the group and during breaks smiled and chatted with them.

"I forgive him," said Liz Seccuro after the hearing. "You have to forgive before you can rebuild yourself." As for UVA, Seccuro and her husband told the crowd of reporters that they do not forgive the school, which she has rebuked for allegedly steering her away from pressing charges over what happened at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity in the fall of 1984, when she was a first year.

Seccuro said she was looking forward to the "next phase" of the case. As assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Claude Worrell (pictured above) announced in November, other men may be indicted, and he said the next phase begins "almost immediately." Indeed, at least one attorney for a man whose name has been whispered as part of the case was present in the courtroom today.

Beebe's attorney Rhonda Quagliana (also pictured above) read a statement after the sentencing in which she denied that Beebe was involved in a gang rape and reminded that Beebe, who approached Seccuro two years ago with an apology, has "always acknowledged" wrongdoing and touched off this case by attempting to do the right thing.

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29 comments

MoxieC March 18th, 2007 | 7:41am

Ms. Seccuro did not put Mr. Beebe in jail, Mr. Beebe actions and the state of Virginia did. The attorneys and the police both thought a serious crime had committed. They have more facts then any of us. Mr. Beebe plead GUILTY, rather than have an actual trial.
I have read the dribble about how flirting and drinking invited these actions. It is surprising in this day to see anyone actually believes that a virginal freshman was "asking for it". If she was why did Beebe feel the need to apologize? He apologized because he felt this act was one of the worst things he had ever been a part of. Why else would it have tortured him for two decades?
Gordon T has no idea how the attack was, he is just guessing. When people say " I don't believe Beebe did that" what they are really saying is "I don't (want to) believe Beebe (that I know) did that". There is much we don't yet know about that night and no one here has anything but the vaguest idea.
This case is about justice and paying for your crime. Rape victim's should take heart that others can now come forward, unafraid. Without the stigma and shame that use to be attached to rape victims perhaps this crime can stop being one of the most unreported act of violence against woman.

TJ March 16th, 2007 | 5:37am

Seccuro should be locked up.

perplexed March 16th, 2007 | 6:15am

In the end, which of these two has done more to expose the problem of unreported rapes?...hard to say....how easy would it have been for Beebe not to say anything at all to Seccuro. Instead, he came forward and admitted what he had done...not something most men would do, I think. All along, he seemed willing to pay the price for his actions. That sends a powerful message to other men.

Lucy March 16th, 2007 | 8:06am

Seccuro is probably the most unsympathetic victim I've ever seen. I can't believe how hungry she is for media attention.There was no reason for her to go to the press.

Janet Baxley March 16th, 2007 | 8:18am

There are always two sides of the story.

As a young adult woman, attending a college party
with alcohol, she knew that guys always
want to "score" and young woman usually
flirt, drink and play all sorts of games.
So, while what he did was not right,
sexual encounters happen all the time; and sometimes
an apology means I am sorry I hurt your feellings
sorry I had sex with you and really didn't love you.

How many wives are guilty of using their husbands
for support, do not love them, yet have sex with
them just to stay in a comfortable marriage.

Is that not playing a game?

It most certainly is. What kinds of games
do young women who attend college
drinking parties play with young men?

Do they apologize too for the games?

Game playing goes both ways. And if we start
doaling out prison sentences to adults who put
themselves in situations where the natural outcome is
sex, they knew going into that setting

I think that it is a bit much. It would be different
if she was in her own home and an intruder attacked
her. Or at her job. Or walking down the street.

No, she was a willing attendee at a college party
in a sexually promiscuous time drinking.

Come on here.

tom March 16th, 2007 | 8:20am

What ever happened to the statute of limitations?..I thought murder was the only crime without limitations?

Dave March 16th, 2007 | 8:55am

In response to janet... Not everyone attending a party is out to get layed. I imagine if they were they would want to be concious and choose their partner. She was drugged and taken advantage of by Beebe and possibly others. If Mr. Beebe was really remorseful he would assist police in identifying the others involved and truly bring this thing to an end. Does Ms. Seccuro have to relive this everytime one of these guys wants to purge his guilt and make himself feel better?

Megan March 16th, 2007 | 9:03am

Tom, in VA, there's no statute of limitation on rape. I'm guessing Mr. Beebe wasn't aware of this either...

sam March 16th, 2007 | 9:13am

Good for him he apologized......Part of a TRUE apology is taking responsiblity for your behavior, he violated a person. He knew it was wrong, otherwise no apology would have been necessary. Taking responsibility affords a healing opportunity to the injured party. Taking responsiblity also means being willing to take the consequences for your behavior. Lets see it took him a long time to finally get to that point but he did. If he was truely willing to except the consequences he would have turned himself in when he sent her the letter! She would not have had to do it. To Janet: Based on your thoughts......when you drive your car on the freeway, are you asking for an accident? Does that give someone else the right to ram your car if you are not going fast enough? kind of silly to think that we should respect one another......based on your reasoning.

PD March 16th, 2007 | 9:34am

It always takes my breath away when people so easily blame women for getting raped. Janet's idea that every college party that involves drinking and flirting makes women partially responsible for rape is sad and scary. The natural outcome of going to a party or drinking with members of the opposite sex is not sex, that is crazy.

I find Liz Securo to be a very compelling victim. She shows clearly how a devastating rape can affect someone's entire life. I also thought she had miscarried twice since Mr. Beebe chose to unburden himself. As far as I can tell Beebe is a first class coward, he apologizes for raping her 20 years ago, then takes it back and claims he felt guilt for all those years over consensual, 'thoughtless' sex, in itself a ridiculous claim, and then he cops a plea but fails to help the police identify her other alleged attackers. His lawyer is still doing the double talk...Beebe didn't participate in a gang rape...I read that to mean he raped her all by himself and then left her there passed out and bleeding for whomever else was interested in raping an unconscious freshman.

H March 16th, 2007 | 9:39am

It always takes "two to tango". They were young, barely 20, at University and partying. What was her role in this ? Was she a little "wallflower" sitting timidly in the corner ? or was she up at the bar flirting with the boys ? If you put it out there and flaunt your sexuality, then you may end up paying the penalty. For Godsakes they probably were all drunk like a lot of University students do at the end of the week or exam period. He had the "balls" to apologise. What is her response to the events of that night. Lets hear her complete account of the night. Judge not. Yes, rape is inexcusable especially if it is premeditated. I dare say that this incident wasn't.

PD March 16th, 2007 | 9:44am

SInce when is flirting license to have sex with someone against their will?

Being drunk isn't an excuse for raping someone, let alone someone you don't know who is pushing you awaay and asking you to stop.

No man is going to feel guilty for consensual drunk sex, so guilty that he writes the woman 20 years later to apologize for the harm he imagines he has caused her and then ultimately pleads guilty to a felony.

I thought we were long past the time when only 'wallflowers' were deserving of protection from rape, but I guess not. I guess UVA women should take note, if they are 'putting it out there' and flirting and drinking someone violently rapes them, they had it coming.

She's given her complete account of that night many times over.

sam March 16th, 2007 | 9:51am

Yeah he has "balls" to apologize.....TWENTY YEARS LATER! so flirting makes rape excusable.... If this was your daughter this would have been ok with you? You would just tell your daughter or to you ....well honey you asked for it.....wow....sad....sad....sad...I did not know anyone ever asked to be raped....just for going to a party....

Megan March 16th, 2007 | 10:05am

If William Beebe did not know her, then how did he know her name to look her up 20 years later?

T March 16th, 2007 | 10:10am

He knew her name because he was introduced to her at the party, he raped her, he appears to have allowed others to rape her as well, and because she went to the university to tell them of the rape and he and several people at the party were questioned.

Kim Evernham March 16th, 2007 | 10:21am

Janet, if someone drugged you, took you to a room, and raped you with both their bodies and foreign objects, then let their friends do the same things, would you consider this a game? You might want to do some reading on sexual assault. No means no. Period. There are not degrees of rape. Get a clue, lady.

T March 16th, 2007 | 10:25am

I've always been curious about the foreign object charge, it was never mentioned in any of the victim's statements at least publicly or any of Beebe's statements. It seems like it is something she doesn't remember specifically, it must have been something he admitted to at some point either to her or to police. The full story answers the question of why she was covered in her own blood the next day though, gang rape and object rape of a virgin. He belongs in prison.

the step mr. beebe worked clearly states: "made amends to those we had harmed except when to do
so would injure them or others." He did not have the right to ease his conscience at the price of the victim's peace of mind.

I READ ALOT OF THE REPLYS AND I FIND ALOT OF ASSUMPTIONS. ASSUMPTIONS ARE WHAT THEY ARE. WE DONT KNOW THE SITUATION OF THE NIGHT IN QUESTION FOR A FACT. ALL PEOPLE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND NOT PUT THEMSELVES IN HARMS WAY (MALE OR FEMALE). I AGREE WITH JANET, DRINKING AND FLIRTING WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX THERE IS ONLY ONE THING IN MIND.....SEX , AND ANYONE THAT DISAGREES IS LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH. YOU DONT FLIRT WITH SOMEONE YOUR NOT ATTRACTED TO. WHEN I WAS TWENTY SEX WAS THE ONLY THING ON MY MIND IT WAS FUN IT WAS A PAST TIME. AND ( PD ) PULL YOUR HEAD, PEOPLE CHANGE. ALLOW SOMEONE TO APPOLOGIZE FOR THE MISTAKE THEY'VE MADE. I DONT THINK ANYONE WANTS TO BE JUDGED BY THE THINGS THEY HAVE DONE 10 TO 20 YEARS BEFORE. THE JUDGE THOUGHT BEEBE WAS SINCERE IN HIS REMORSE, THAT IS WHAT MATTERS. SECCURRO NEEDS TO GET OVER IT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE PRESSED CHARGES AT ALL. BEEBE DID NOT NEED TO COME FORWARD. SHE SHOULD GET OVER THIS SHE PLAYED HER PART IN THIS THING TOO. I FEEL HE PAID THE PRICE ALREADY OVER THE YEARS HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT IT ENOUGH TO COME FORWARD TO FIND HER AND TO CONTACT HER WITH AN APOLOGY.

T March 16th, 2007 | 9:28pm

YOu don't flirt with someone you aren't attracted to, but presumably, most people don't have sex with every single person they are attracted to or flirt with. They don't have sex with everyone they talk to at a party or everyone they have a drink with.

The guy is a rapist and he paid no consequences for 20 years, the fact that instead of serving 3 or 5 years he's going to probably be in prison for only a few months. He is a coward. He raped her, changed her life forever, and then he comes back to 'apologize' but when she goes to police, he lies AGAIN, and says there was no rape, that wasn't what he was apologizing for.

People who think that flirting and going to parties makes girls responsible for getting raped most likely never got invited to a frat party in their life, never had a girl flirt with them and rarely if ever got laid. Normal people realize that women don't have to stay home with their bible in order to be worthy of protection from rape.

Gordon T March 17th, 2007 | 10:02am

I know Mr. Beebe. The reason he waited 22 years to contact her was that he did not know how to find her once he got sober. After all, she did get married and change her name. In any case, I do not believe it was the vile, brutal attack characterized by Mrs. Seccuro. I sincerely do hope that this gives her peace of mind now. This has certainly changed Beebe's life for the worse. My whole point is that you can't judge this when you don't know either party and don't know all the facts. A summary black and white judgement such as "Seccuro should go to jail, she's a media whore" or "Beebe should rot in prison and have his balls cut off) is simply moronic and wrong. While what happened was certainly horrible for Mrs. Seccuro, NONE OF US know all the facts. That's all I'm saying.

AD March 17th, 2007 | 10:44am

I'm old enough to remember when everyone thought the way people like Janet and GS - BEFORE the strengthening of the rape laws throughout this country made it clear that rape is a crime, and the criminal, not the victim, should be punished. Whether premeditated or the taking of a chance opportunity, it is a crime of violence against women that needs to be understood as such. The fact that UVA until very recently has not supported its female students in pressing charges for such crimes, hiding behind the honor code, is another key problem highlighted by this case.

T March 18th, 2007 | 10:41am

I know that Beebe said what he had done to her had haunted him for 20 years, so it must have been pretty vile and brutal for him to feel that level of guilt for so many years. I know that Beebe admitted to her that he had raped her, then took it back, saying it was a 20 year guilt trip over drunken consensual sex and that he finally pled guilty to a lesser charge, holding out the promise that he could help ID the other attackers, and then he didn't. I know that she reported the rape as soon as it happened, went to the hospital and that more than one witness saw her unconscious wrapped in the bloody sheet. There are more than enough facts to conclude that William Beebe got off easy for what happened.

FDR March 18th, 2007 | 11:48am

I\'ll have to agree the flirting thing is rediculous. Nobody asks for it.
Aggravated sexual battery was the conviction, not rape. The \"foreign object charge\", mentioned by T, was actually object sexual penetration (Virginia Code 18.2-67.2).
While it is understandable to read some of the strong and opinionated comments, perhaps a question to ask would be has anyone here seen all the evidence? Most of it? Please don\'t tell me you have seen it all or mostly because the media said so.
I believe GS was right on the point in stating \"I READ ALOT OF THE REPLYS AND I FIND ALOT OF ASSUMPTIONS. ASSUMPTIONS ARE WHAT THEY ARE.\"
If T has the \"facts\", please bring them forward so we can all make our own decisions. That would be all or at least most of the facts. Not just what has been stated by the media or Ms Seccuro.

Jim Clark March 19th, 2007 | 8:12pm

Why is there not any outrage about UVA and how they handled this reported sexual assault?
It may be that people go to parties for many reasons, I doubt if anyone goes to be given a drug and assaulted while semi or unconscious.

Why is it that no one in this town will take on UVA? Why is it that many here accept sexual assault as being "OK" ?

The University continues to hide behind its "honor code" and its heavyweight financial power, I think the University leadership is, and was at that time, Morally bankrupt.

Scorpio March 19th, 2007 | 10:33pm

Enough has been been said about what an idiot Janet is... so I will move on to address the other party who is most culpable in this whole affair. I am speaking of the University. Yes I am an alum as well, but am ashamed to be so sometimes. All the administration has ever cared about was US News and World Report rankings and raising the next endowment. I would like to see how all this is impacted after they are exposed for turning a blind eye to these kinds of events in the best seller list. I read in the Progress that an Oprah producer was in the court. I hope Oprah takes an interest in this very important issue that UVA is among the worst offenders. It is amazing to me that this kind of event is still going on 20 plus years later (see www.uvavictimsofrape.com which I found while googling). I would have serious reservations about sending any of my children to this school until the adminstration cleans up its act. For God's sake she was 17 and the school knew all about what happened and didn't do anything. Also what is up with this mickey mouse, keystone cop or storm troopper UVA police dept (depending on our cynicism - are they just stupid or in cohoots) I heard she filed a report with the UVA police. Where is it? If they knew about it then why didn't they go to Cville police? I think there are a serious number of crimes which are never reported by UVA police so they can manipulate their crime stats.

JenX March 20th, 2007 | 9:52am

Well played, Scorpio, MoxieC, Jim Clark, T.

As for Janet - well, Good God. I am a peaceful person and you make me want to hit something. I don't think you ever got invited anywhere, ever, so limited is your knowledge of normal college behavior. Are 17 year olds from all-female Catholic school supposed to know about these things? I think not. I don't think the "natural outcome" of drugging an innocent victim is "sex". It's rape and until people like you know there's a difference, the world will keep accepting this loathsome crime. Did you know men are raped, too? Are they asking for it? What a despicable moron you are.

Megan - she reported the rape in 1984 to the University deans, the Police, Student Health, etc. and he was undoubtedly called in and given the "good old boy" questioning, with the suggestion that he head off to rehab and get his act together. He knew her name, alright. When you screw someone's life up so badly, I'm betting you remember their name. According to what I read in the Cavalier Daily today (Liz Seccuro writes a blistering attack on some ridiculously uninformed 2nd year who gives the University a pass in this whole mess), he got her new, married name from the University of Virginia Alumni office. Now, correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't he drop out?

Why are they giving out personal information about alums to rapist, er, anyone who asks? That might be something they'd wanna rethink.

William Beebe: "Yes, hi, I dropped out of UVa because I was a drunken rapist. Could you look up a name for me? I'd really like to track her down to, you know, say I'm sorry and all."

Geez. I keep hearing this argument that "she should have known what would happen, she's responsible for what happened because she went to the party." To those who make this argument, how come she's the only one expected to pay the price for what she did? Didn't Mr. Beebe know that rape was a crime and a possible consequence of raping someone is going to jail? If it was a crime in 1984, what happened over the past 20+ years to transform it into not-a-crime? If someone murdered your family member 20 years ago, does it slowly transform into not-a-murder as time ticks by? If you were robbed 20 years ago, is it no longer a robbery just because 20 years has passed? If your house were deliberately burned down?

To all those who want to say "hey, time has passed, it's wrong to prosecute this guy for this crime he committed 20 years ago," the only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that you simply don't feel it was a crime to begin with. You wouldn't make this argument about any other felony. So this incident has had the fascinating effect of driving out into the light all those wormy people who, deep down, feel like forcing a woman to have sex against her will isn't really a bad thing.

12Stepper June 25th, 2007 | 3:56pm

This is a nation of black-and-white thinkers. There seems to be this odd disease of puritanism
alive and surging throughout our country. Can't we see there isn't a need to condemn or sanctify either person here? They both have their own stories and did what each needed to
do. If Beebe wasn't prepared to face his consequences, he wouldn't have worked the 9th Step.
If Seccuro didn't still suffer, she wouldn't have chosen her path. It does no good to judge
either one, as if we could possibly know what it would be like to make or not make their
choices. They're both just humans trying to do the best they can, in a crappy situation.
I find compassion and "likeableness" in them both and hope they will both find some relief from their suffering. I'm glad Beebe has his support network & is working his prgram so well and that Seccuro is trying to make a difference for other women.